Recoding Your Life Objects

In 1946, Viktor Frankl, a famous neurologist, said, “Between stimulus and response, there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response." Just as we as developers thoughtfully design event handlers to respond to our events, so can we use that space to improve our personal and professional lives. A recent study concluded that nearly 60% of tech workers suffer from on-the-job burnout. This can lead to serious physical and psychological illness, low productivity, and declined motivation. Business suffers when employees experience high stress, as evidenced by rising turnover rates and healthcare costs. Modern tech companies are also victims to stress. We often see this manifested as a focus on short-term goals, lack of vision, and routine thinking. Learning to calm the mind allows us to focus on that space between stimulus and response. This can be accomplished through the practice of mindfulness, a technique that allows us to tap into and reprogram our reactive patterns to everyday events. Not only does this mindfulness help individuals to more thoughtfully respond to situational stress, it also can be key to building leaders and organizations that behave more intentionally. Steve Jobs was known to use mindfulness to improve focus, clarity, and creativity. Join me on a journey to understand the process of mindfulness. We will explore how this technique can help you focus in a world full of digital chatter. Topics will include: - An understanding of mindfulness and how it can benefit you - How mindfulness allows you to recode your reactions and convert them to thoughtful responses - What organizations should know before integrating mindfulness practices into their strategic planning process You will come away with a new awareness of the flexibility of your brain to listen more deeply, respond more intentionally, and create inner peace.

Comments

This was a very valuable talk. There was an interesting tension between the criticisms of corporate efforts to include mindfulness training and your strong advocacy for developers learning mindfulness techniques. I understood your point that these initiatives are not a panacea for a toxic work culture. Do you have examples of companies using these programs to positive effect?